Zero Soul?
by Ocelotclaw
Summary: What happens when your average teenage saxophone player sees a green oval in the corner of the hall at his latest gig? Whatever it is, I'm sure with his laidback attitude, he can take whatever life throws at him, right? Your usual familiar of zero story with a fresh twist. OCxHarem, but not all are who you expect. Rated Teen for language and occassional suggestive themes. ON HOLD!
1. What the Soul!

Hey all, nice to see you. As you can probably tell, this is my first fan fiction. As a result, I'm probably going to get all manner of things wrong. So please bear with me, and try to enjoy the story.

This stories plot idea is a new angle on a well loved outlook on the familiar of zero series. While many people have inserted the "different familiar" idea in, I've taken a new look on this by having a regular nobody with an interesting hobby get sucked into the world of Halkeginia. So without further ado, let's get started!

"Hello" = speech

"**Hello" **= shouting and/or spiritual being

_Hello_ = thought

*Hello* = foreign language (or familiar unable to understand at the start).

**Chapter 1: What the Soul?!**

_Well this is annoying_ was the thought going through my mind currently. "What was annoying?" I hear you ask? Well first, let's take a quick look at the run up to these events.

Kieren Haines was pretty average in most respects. 18 years of age, brown hair done in a standard, short style, and watery grey eyes. My attire consisted of a simple, striped button up shirt and cargo trousers. One thing that did stand out was my size, for at 6ft 4in tall and built with a strong body; I was hard to miss in a crowd. The downside to this however was i tended to draw the attention of the wrong crowd at times. Amazing how being taller than some people makes certain people feel threatened enough to start something with you. I eventually got bored of just taking any damage such people thought it was fair to dish out, so I had been learning to defend myself for the past two years. The method I chose was actually quite unusual, for it was Bōjutsu, but I had always been interested in wielding a staff. It is, after all, pretty much solely self defence with its long reach and blunt ends.

I had just finished my A levels at college, earning average grades in my chosen courses of biology, chemistry and geography (I know, must be a thrill to have at parties right?). Currently, I was indulging in one of my favourite hobbies of mine, playing the saxophone. Now, the saxophone could be considered an unusual instrument to learn to play nowadays, but there was a reason for learning this particular instrument.

You see, my father, Derek Haines, could also play the saxophone. In fact, back in the time when soul was still going strong, he was part of a small scale band called "The Mynx" that played at clubs and other locations. This meant a readymade, free instructor to learn from. Therefore, I had started to learn from age 14, and had come along relatively well in the near four years since he started. Since Derek was able to play a range of saxophones, I had a choice of which to learn first. Of course, being 14 at the time, I had no concept of "size isn't everything", and so went for the largest one Derek owned... a baritone saxophone. While lifting it alone was no small feat, perseverance and a growth spurt helped, and now I could lift it with relative ease.

One day, about a year ago now, some of Derek's old band members rung him and asked if he wanted to meet up to remember the good old days and a school reunion back at their old school in Dagenham, England. One thing led to another and soon, the members of the Mynx were back together after nearly 30 years of separation. Soon gigs were organised here and there, and due to my ability to play the saxophone too, I joined as an official member.

And so we come back to the present, and what was annoying, you asked? Set-up, that's what. What many people who come to see the gig fail to realise is the amount of set-up required before the gig even starts. Yes, I think annoying was a suitable word for it...that or tiresome...or a pain in the...you get the idea. So while various members of the band were setting up mics and moving amps, I was in a corner practising my baritone. Ah, the benefit of playing an instrument that doesn't need plugging in or amplifying.

It was halfway through practising "A message to Rudy" that I saw a warm, green glow out of the corner of my eye. I turn to face it to see a large green oval in the corner of the large hall we were playing at. Now, seeing such a strange thing in the corner of the room, my first reaction was "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that meal from the dodgy service on the way up here" but hey, I was hungry. So my first course of action was to see whether it was just me that was going nuts.

"Hey guys, check this out, you seeing what I'm seeing?" I called out behind me, not taking my eyes off the green...thing and letting my saxophone rest on the harness around my neck. I frowned when I got no reply.

"Guys?", I said while turning round. It was then I noticed something off. It was silent. In a hall with a band doing sound checks. I noticed that while they were still there, they weren't making any sounds. In fact, many were playing their instruments, all while remaining silent.

"Heeeellooo?" I said while waving my hands slightly, still with no response. Now this was starting to worry me. In all fairness, I should've been freaking out by now, and worrying for my sanity, but I've always been a laid back, difficult to rile person. And so I turned my attention back to the green anomaly. Logically, this all started when I noticed it.

_Yeah, like logic has any place in this situation_ I thought sarcastically. Still, might as well do things in a logical way. What's the first thing you do when you see something strange? Shoot it? No, wait, that's only in games. So I did the next best thing, throw something at it. I fished a pen from my top pocket and threw that at the portal from a distance. I heard the light clatter as it passed straight through to the other side of the room.

_Huh, so it isn't physical at least. _I then walked nearer to it, took my second and last pen from my pocket, and poked it, before quickly retract my hand for fear of...well, I don't know. What can you expect from a large glowing oval? Not a smile and a wad of cash, that's for sure. Still, I can hope, right? When nothing happened, I repeated, but kept the pen touching it. When nothing happened, I approached closer.

_Well, here goes nothing. _I reached out and touched it with the tip of my finger. Nothing physical happened, but a warm sensation washed over me. It was hard to explain really, it felt like a sense of...belonging? No, not quite, more like urgency...a need to learn more about this green oval. So I plucked up my courage and placed my whole hand in the green glow. Then it happened.

I felt a distinct pull on my arm, and it started to sink deeper into the oval. _Oh-oh, this can't be good _I thought frantically, as I started trying to pull my arm from the damn thing.

"**My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière"** came a loud, feminine disembodied voice, clear as though it was spoken in my own head. _Great, now I'm hearing things as well._

"**Pentagon of the five elemental powers..." **In a desperate attempt to free myself, I kicked out at the portal, achieving nothing but getting my foot stuck as well, which also started to sink into the oval. _Well, shoulda known that would happen..._ I grimaced as nearly all of my body had disappeared through the portal.

"**...bless this humble being..." **At this point, my entire body passed through the portal and a feeling of weightlessness took me, before I started falling and did the only thing I could think of...scream...loudly. Hey, even I lose my cool when I'm falling, seemingly to my death.

"**...and make him my familiar!" **I slammed into a hard surface at the same time as a loud bang reached my ears and dust flew in my face. I couldn't quite decide whether this was an improvement on the endless green of before.

*did it work?*

*how should I know, I can't see anything*

*obviously it didn't *cough*, it's just another explosion*

*Ahh, just as we would expect from Louise the zero*

_Huh? What's that I can hear, sounds like no language I've heard...and I've been a fair few places on holiday _I thought as I coughed and attempted to re-orientate myself so I could make sense of what just happened.

Slowly, the dust cleared and i blinked my eyes against the harsh sunlight. _Strange, I'm outside now _i thought absently. This became the least of my problems when I realised that there were others there with me. I was surrounded by several young adolescents dressed in what appeared to be a combination of a Japanese school uniform and a long cloak...strange to say the least.

Most notable of the group were two individuals. One was the only clear adult, a tall balding man in a large, blue cloak and holding a walking stick...or was that a staff? The other appeared to be the youngest of the group, and also the closest. I guessed her age to be around the 12, 13 mark and her most noticeable feature was her bright pink hair. _Pink hair? Damn they dye their hair young now._

I blinked as I remained sprawled on the floor, resting on my elbows. They blinked back.

_Ok, what's the first thing I'm meant to do in this situation? Am I injured?...sore yes, but nothing broken it seems. What have I got on me? Nothing but the sax round my neck, some spare reeds in my pocket and the clothes on my back. Great, if these guys are hostile, frankly a pigeon has a better chance of making it out alive...at least it could fly away._

As I was pondering this dilemma I was in, the silence was broken by a sound I wasn't expecting in such a tense situation. Laughter. One of the members of the group, a dark skinned redhead that was...well endowed shall we say...had started laughing at the sight of me. Soon, several others had joined in, till all of them bar the two I mentioned before were in fits of giggles and struggling to remain standing. Was I really that strange looking? I mean, it was these guys that looked like they were going to a comic con of some form.

*You summoned a commoner! A mere plebeian, oh well done Louise the zero, your title precedes you on this one!* the redhead managed to gasp out in between bouts of giggles. Meanwhile, the pink haired child was starting to do a passable impression of a tomato, as her face went bright red and she clenched her fists, all while a scowl was present on her face.

*It is to be expected after all, she cannot perform even the simplest of spells without blowing up something. She couldn't hope to summon something as great as my Verdandi* said a blonde haired boy holding a...was that a rose! Wow, these people have a real flare for the dramatic it seemed.

*well, while this is most unusual, you have indeed managed to summon a familiar* said the only adult of the group, the balding man I noticed previously. *Now you must complete the contract as taught, Louise*

*What! But Professor Colbert! Surely i can be allowed another attempt at this, the spell clearly went wrong. How can i be expected to take a commoner as my familiar!* the pinkette shouted, all the while not taking her furious gaze off of me. She may be young, but many things about her were screaming danger to me.

*You can't do that, you know that all too well Louise. The summon familiar spell is a onetime deal. You cannot change the result simply because you are not happy with it*

The pinkette seemed to placate a little, but retained the scowl on her face. She moved forwards in order to complete contract.

While all this was occurring, I had managed to sit up so i was in a more upright position, sitting with my legs crossed. I continued to observe with a mixture of confusion and dread. I couldn't understand a word being said, and half the group were still laughing while looking in my direction. The other half was laughing at the pink haired girl, for whatever reason. _She must be related to this situation somehow _I thought as she was having a heated conservation with the balding man. Just as I thought this, she turned and made her way towards me. Unsure how to react, I chose to wait for her to approach, but remained wary. She didn't seem to be approaching with hostility...minus the scowl on her face. Seriously, that look could wilt flowers.

When she reached me, she knelt down so she was level with my face

*I hope you appreciate this, rare is the moment a commoner feels the kiss of a noble* she said to me, and proceeded to chant something, which sounded oddly similar to what I heard from the portal while sinking into it. *My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar* once finished she leaned towards me, and before I could react placed a kiss on my lips.

The kiss lasted for no more than a few seconds, but was surprisingly soft and gentle. Considering the look on her face at the time, I would've expected her to hit me rather than this, so could only stare with a blank look on my face. If anyone I knew saw me like this, they would surely slap me for looking like a gormless prat. I was soon broken out of my revelry as my body began to heat up. A feeling similar to that felt when I first touched that portal welled up inside me, but was many times stronger. This feeling eventually manifested in my right hand, as intense pain started to sear through my entire arm. As my eyes began to water and I clutched my hand, gritting my teeth and making growling noises, I wondered just what the girl had done to me.

*Relax, it'll be over soon* said the balding man as he approached me, but I couldn't concentrate much on my surroundings at present. Finally, my hand glowed brightly and strange symbols appeared on the back of my hand as the pain reached its peak. I couldn't take it anymore, and screamed out as my vision became blurry from the tears in my eyes. Slowly, the pain subsided and as the world started to go dark around me and I fell forwards, I could just make out one last thought:

_What have I gotten myself into now?_

**Author's Notes**

So there you have it, my attempt at a unique twist on a well loved story. Just a few notes about the OC, his personality will be fairly laid back, taking most things in stride. Being 18, he will not be ignorant of females, but won't necessarily accept their advances. Also, he will have played a range of games, so will be familiar with some of the mythical creatures that he'll meet. Finally, you'll find that he has a largely sarcastic sense of humour, and if he wants to insult someone, seldom does it in a straightforward way.

Thanks for reading, and please rate and review, for it helps me know if I'm on the right track. Flames will be ignored, if you can't be polite, I can't be arsed to read your comment.

Thank You

Ocelotclaw


	2. I'm a Soul Familiar!

Well, here's the second chapter up and running. There has already been some feedback to the first chapter, and so far I think it's worth continuing this plotline ^^.

**Reviewing the Reviews:**

**uub: **thanks, nice to know I can write humorous stuff sometimes, I hope to keep it up. Also, well noticed, I am having a bit of a twist on the familiars abilities.

"Hello" = speech

"**Hello" **= shouting and/or spiritual being

_Hello_ = thought

*Hello* = foreign language (or familiar unable to understand at the start).

All characters, locations and plots from Familiar of Zero are property of Noburu Yamaguchi. Anime owned by Yoshiaki Iwasaki. All OC's, unique plots and general craziness are owned by yours truly. Enjoy.

**Chapter 2: I'm a Soul Familiar?!**

_*flashback*_

It was a standard wet and dreary English day as I made my way to my next lesson, Biology. It had already been three months since I had started high school, and already the technical terms and general theories needed were causing my brain to hurt. Seriously, there must be better uses for my brain than this...such as watching anime or playing games. Still, I suppose this is important too. Didn't help that I was only interested in the animal side of the course, and was uninterested in human physiology or plant biology. I would never be cut out to be a doctor, that's for sure. My bedside manner would be...lacking.

I was walking with my good friend for as long as I could remember, Ashleigh. She was my neighbour, as well as my friend, and the person that got me interested in Bōjutsu for the first time. She had been doing it since she was nine, so was many times better than me. A fact she enjoyed rubbing in my face a lot, usually with the end of her bo-staff during sparring. She was a tomboy in persona, but despite this was considered one of the prettier girls in class with long dark hair held in a single pony-tail. Of course, anyone who was brave enough to actually come forward and attempt to ask her out soon realised why she was still single. She had quite the fiery temper.

We entered the class talking about nothing of interest, such as how much the old bag of an English teacher has set us for homework ("a two thousand word essay on Shakespeare! This must be against the law or something!" proclaimed Ashleigh), and soon noticed something amiss.

On the table where we usually sat, located near the back of the room, was a face we didn't recognise. It was a girl that had her head down and was trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. How did we know that she was an unfamiliar face when we couldn't even see her face? Easy, her hair was platinum blonde, almost white colour. No-one we knew had that colour hair.

Ashleigh just looked over to her, and appeared to be apprehensive to approach. Despite her temper, she was surprisingly shy, and seldom made the first move when greeting new people. I think that's where her temper actually came from, as a defence against people that are too forward for her liking.

"Oh come on, I doubt she bites" I said cheerfully and made my way over to the table, and plonked myself down opposite the new student. Ashleigh quickly followed suit, and sat beside me. Our arrival caused the girl to look up briefly to acknowledge us, but soon looked back to the desk without saying anything. Hmmm...seemed she wasn't the talkative type.

"Err...hi, don't mind if we sit here do you?" I asked. She shook her head and continued to find the doodles on the desk to be infinitely interesting. "Ok, good. My names Kieren, what's yours? You seem to be new here"

Slowly, she raised her head up to look at us again, seemingly shocked that I was trying to start a conversation with her. Slowly, she broke out into a slight smile.

"My name is...Mica..."

_*End Flashback*_

The first clue that I was regaining consciousness, other than the fading dream from my memories, was the cold sensation on my left cheek. Slowly, my senses started kicking in and I started taking stock of what was around me. I could feel a cold, hard surface beneath me, and what felt like long, uneven strands over the top of said surface. There was a somewhat musty smell, and reminded me of cut grass so I guessed it was straw or something similar. I could also hear occasional rustling and movement, so it seemed I was not alone...wherever I was.

I gradually opened my eyes and sat up, blinking as I adjusted my vision to the light level of the room. The first thing I noticed was that the pink haired girl was also present, sitting with her back to me brushing her hair while looking in a mirror.

_Great, so that wasn't a dream. _I took to looking around the room from my seated position. The room was of grand design, with a large four poster bed, large wardrobes and other impressive furniture. Strangely, the only source of light was coming from a few old style lamps that looked like they ran on gas but were burning far too clean and bright to be doing so. The only part of the room that was out of place was where I was currently sitting, which was a large hay pile located beside the bed, between it and the door. _So I was close, it was hay, not straw._

The last thing that caught my attention was the gleam of bright metal just to my side. It was my baritone Sax! I moved towards it in order to pick it up and inspect it. It seemed to have just been chucked beside me without a care for its condition, but despite this it was in one piece and seemed to only have a few scratches along the side, and the current reed had been damaged. _Damn, Dads gonna flip when he see the scratches on this thing._

My movement towards the sax had been noticed by the pinkette in the mirror she was currently using. Without turning around, she began to speak to me. At least I assume it was to me, no one else was in the room at this time.

*Ah, I see you have awoken. Just in time too, you can assemble my nightclothes and help me prepare for the night* she said while continuing to brush her hair. Meanwhile I was concentrating on resting my saxophone safely against the wall, so that it couldn't get further damaged. When I didn't answer straight away, the young girl turned around and stood to address me directly.

*Did you not hear me, familiar? I said to prepare my clothes. Hurry up!*

Still I didn't understand her. It wasn't my fault; I was never good at learning other languages. Now that I listened closely to the language, it sounded vaguely like French, but with some stronger German-like words mixed in. The girl however was gradually getting more and more frustrated, and her cheeks were starting to match her hair. I thought I had better try and prevent her from getting angrier; there was no telling what she would do.

"Err...I'm afraid I can't understand you kid, you're speaking gibberish to me"

Upon hearing this, the girl first stared at me blankly, before sighing loudly and placing her head in her hand upon the desk she was sat at.

*Great, not only do I summon a commoner as my familiar, but one that cannot understand simple Halkeginian. Knowing my luck he's from some backwater town, the commonest of the commoners*

"Err...kid? I'm guessing you don't understand me either, huh? Well, I'm Kieren nice to meet you" I said while extending my hand towards her for a handshake. She just looked at my hand, then to my face, before shaking her head and making her way towards the wardrobe in her room.

_Ok, clearly handshakes aren't a custom used here...wherever here is. Perhaps I can try and ask her where we are...if we can ever get past the language barrier, that is._

Just as I was pondering this the girl made it to the wardrobe and promptly removed the cloak she was wearing and chucked it in my direction. Reflexively I caught it and looked at it, but before I could wonder why she had done so it was soon followed by a shirt and a skirt. Returning my gaze, I cocked an eyebrow at the sight that was before me. Sure enough, the clothes had come from the girl herself, and she was currently rummaging through the wardrobe with her back to me wearing nothing but a pair of panties.

"No means to be rude...but what are you doing?"

She made no effort to acknowledge that I had said anything, and instead found whatever she was looking for in the wardrobe, which turned out to be a light pink negligee. Putting it on over her head while simultaneously turning around, she addressed me again.

*Now, be a good familiar and ensure those are washed by the morning* she said to me pointedly, clearly expecting an answer. When she didn't get one she simply frowned and sighed again before reaching to her waist. It was at this point I averted my gaze as it became apparent she was removing her panties from beneath the negligee.

"Seriously, don't you have any sense of modesty? I've been to drunken parties where people are more embarrassed to get undressed in front of others than you." And this was no joke...alcohol combined with a card game can create a magic trick...it makes your inhibitions, and often your clothes, disappear.

"But lack of modesty aside, can I please get answers? Like where am I? What happened? And who the hell are you?" The girl was now getting visibly irritated at the fact that I was continuing to talk, and that she couldn't understand a word of it. She finished removing her underwear, placed them on the pile of clothes in my hand (_why was I still holding these? I should have just dropped them, but oh well_) and walked towards the four-poster bed. Frustrated at still not getting an answer...even one I couldn't understand, I raised my voice slightly.

"Hello? It's usually considered polite to reply when someone talks to you"

*Oh do be quiet familiar, I am about to go to sleep. I do not wish to be kept up by your incessant howling through the night. Although, perhaps there is a solution to that problem...* upon which she reached for a long, stick like item that was resting on her bedside cabinet. Completely confused by this action, I just stood there. I had very little chance to react when she pointed the object in my direction and muttered something under her breath.

Once she had done that, several things happened in quick succession. First, the air directly in front of me seemed to warp slightly. Then, there was a loud crack like a sonic boom went off, before I was pushed forcefully backwards and landed heavily on the hay pile in the corner. My head hurt and my ears were ringing from the close proximity of the loud noise. This had definitely confirmed my thoughts; this girl was dangerous. First she causes that intense pain from before and now this?

It was as I was recovering that I heard the young girl speak again.

"Oh for Brimir's sake, can I not even get a simple silencing spell correct? At least the explosion was smaller than last time. I don't wish to have to get the window replaced again."

"Eurgh...Kid, I think you need to learn the difference between the silencing and deafening" I said as I sat up and poked my ears in an attempt to regain the ability to hear properly.

"What's that supposed to mean?! Are you making fun of your master, commoner?" She said. It was at this moment we both went wide-eyed and looked at each other. Then we pointed at each other and simultaneously said:

"Ahhh! I can understand you!"

"What did you do to me?" I asked indignantly. While this helped with the language barrier, it didn't mean I appreciated being thrown across the room and partially deafened. It seemed, however, that being able to understand me hadn't stopped her tendency to ignore me. Instead of answering my question, she instead looked at her wand and muttered:

"Strange, that should have silenced you, but instead now I can understand you. I don't even know the translation spell so how?" It was at this point that I waved my hand in front of her face to break her from her thoughts.

"Hello, remember me? The fellow you just threw across the room?"

"What, do you think you are doing Familiar?" she asked while putting a scowl on that was reminiscent of the one from when I arrived here.

"Familiar? What's that when it's at home?"

"Ah, that's right, now that you can understand me; you can also understand your instructions. Familiar, take those clothes and have them washed by morning"

"...Pardon?" I said. I looked down to the bundle of clothes still resting in my arms...huh; I'd forgotten they were still there.

"And why, exactly, must I do your chores?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow once again. Hearing this, she looked at me with what appeared to be a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

"Because your my Familiar, or course, it's your duty to serve me."

"Again, I ask, what is a Familiar exactly?" I'd come across the term of course. Who hasn't if one of your hobbies is playing RPG games?

"Are all commoners as ignorant of a Nobles lifestyle as you? *sigh* No matter, I'll explain to you then" at this, she sat upon the end of the bed. "A Familiar is an aid of sorts, a servant summoned by a mage during their 16th summer..."

"Wait, sixteenth summer? What do you mean by that?"

"You dare to interrupt me, Familiar!" She said while angrily pointing her stick...wand, I'm guessing...at me. Not keen to be on the receiving end of that again, I bowed my head slightly to indicate for her to continue. This seemed to placate her somewhat, and she huffed slightly before continuing "anyway, sixteenth summer means that we conduct the summon familiar ritual when we reach sixteen years of age. Once summoned..."

Again, I felt I had to interrupt here "woah, wait there kid! You're sixteen years old?! There's no way!"

Now the girls face took a true red colour, and her scowl reached full prominence "How dare you, Commoner! Are you suggesting I lack womanly traits! While it is true I am not as well developed as some, a have merely yet to blossom!" She fumed while threateningly shaking the wand and standing up to walk closer towards me.

"Ok, Ok, sorry kid, I believe you. Your sixteen" I said while backing further away.

"Don't call me kid! I am a Lady of the De La Vallière House. My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière!" she said with both pride and fury. I merely looked a bit ashamed and she begun to calm down a bit.

"Sorry, sorry. Alright then Louise, you were explaining what a Familiar actually is?"

Louise seemed to be on the verge of another outburst, before sighing and sitting back down. She then carried on her explanation "Fine. A Familiar, once summoned, is a servant that helps the mage in whatever way they are capable. They'll carry out requests for the mage, as well as gather reagents and items needed for potions or spells. Understand, Familiar?"

"I have a name you know, ki...err...Louise. My names Kieren. Also, are you saying that I am now your servant? What if I refuse?" Even as I thought this, a random feeling popped up within me. It was the same feeling of belonging from before, as well as the strange notion that made me think I would never want to refuse being her servant. I forcefully pushed this notion aside. _Strange, why would I think that?_

"You can't refuse; you're now bound to me, your master. See those runes on your hand? They are proof of the contract." Looking down at my right hand, I saw a series of symbols and shapes I didn't recognise there. Of course, I had almost forgotten. They appeared during the blinding light and blinding pain...well I guess that explains that then. It also explained the kiss, must be part of the contract. Damn, always knew I wasn't that lucky with girls.

"So, I'm now bound to you?" She nodded. "And have to do whatever you order?" She nodded again. "For how long do I have to do this for exactly? A week? A Year?"

"The contract lasts until one of us dies. Also, should I die, you would as well."

"Wait...so this contract is forever...as in, I'm never going to be free again?"

"Well done, I do believe you're starting to grasp the situation, Familiar." She turned her back to me in order to place her wand back on the bedside cabinet and sort some other items out. "Now that you understand, how about washing those garments at last? Oh, and I'll need a wake-up call at dawn, understand?" She frowned when she got no reply. Turning around she said "Understand?"

What greeted her was the sight of the clothes that had been previously held by me dumped on the floor where I had been standing. The door was slightly ajar and still swinging with retained momentum. And most of all...there was a distinct lack of a Familiar.

Louise stared blankly at first, before a severe scowl donned her face

"**FAMILIAR!"**

***Break***

As I rushed down the unfamiliar corridors of what appeared to be something straight out of a medieval fantasy film, I attempted to gather my thoughts.

_Ok, so apparently I'm in a place where magic can be used, as well as used to bind something forcefully to your will. Not only that, I'm bound to a child who's convinced she's an adult, and wants me to serve her "till death do us part". It's official; this is the weirdest awakening from a drunken night out I've ever experienced. And I thought waking up in the college fountain would be hard to beat._

I reached the end of the corridor and started down the spiral staircase at the end, taking two or three steps at a time.

_What is this place anyway, a castle? I don't remember there being one near our gig site. Come to think of it, I don't remember drinking enough for this. I do remember a green oval though. Maybe...NO! I will not believe this is actually happening. I'm just dreaming or something._

I reached the base of the staircase and exited through a door into a large courtyard. I stopped momentarily and looked around me. One thing was sure, this place was impressive! The courtyard was surrounded by a large wall, and two large towers were visible from where I was standing, as well as a large central building. Looking back, I had just come from a similar tower to the other two. The court itself had large grassy plain with a path along the edge and down the centre. There was also a fountain near the middle of the court. Currently, I noticed, there was no one around except for a couple that was sitting on the edge of the fountain. Made sense, I thought, it was probably quite late. It was dark out now. _Man, how long was I out?_

Thinking that continuing to run would attract unwanted attention from the couple by the fountain; I started to walk at a casual pace along the outside edge of the court. There was a large set of double doors that suggested to me that they lead to outside the campus.

As I drew closer to the couple by the fountain, I could make out who they were. One was the blond boy from the circle of people who laughed at my presence when first arriving in this mess. He was wearing a garishly frilly shirt which was half undone, exposing his chest to the world. His weird accessory, a single red rose, was still held in his hand as he flamboyantly made gestures as he spoke. He also wore the same green cloak as Louise had worn.

The other person was a young girl. She was very young in the face (not as young as Louise, mind you) and wore what seemed to be the standard far around here. A simple white shirt and a green skirt with a cloak over the top. Her cloak was coloured brown rather than green, however. Currently, she had her hands clasped together and seemed to be hanging on the blond boys every word, a look of adoration in her eyes. As I drew nearer, I started to hear snippets of their conservation.

"So you would like to try my soufflé one day then?" The girl said, still looking at the blond with a loving expression.

"Of course. I would like nothing more than to try such divine cuisine such a that prepared by you" the boy replied with a flourish of his rose.

"Really, you mean it, Guiche?" _Huh, Guiche? Now there's a strange name. Certainly doesn't sound English. I hope I'm still in the country._

"Yes, I cannot tell a lie to such a beautiful lady such as you, Katie". At this, the girl gave a dramatic sigh and continued to stare at the boy. _Wow, he's got that girl hook, line and sinker..._

It was at this moment, when I was closest to the couple on the path I was taking, that Guiche noticed my presence.

"Well, look at this. If it isn't the commoner Familiar. What are you doing out alone at this time? I assume you've been set a task by your master?"

At this I gritted my teeth, and bit down the remark I wanted to make in response to that statement. If I started an argument here, it would only draw attention to me and alert Louise to my whereabouts. So instead, I did the only thing that came to mind. Blag my way through in an attempt to escape the conversation.

"Yes, sir (_I hope that counts as polite enough for these uptight arses_). I've actually just awoken, and am looking around the...castle...to get a lay of the land".

"Ah, very well. I suppose it is important to familiarise yourself with the area if you are to serve adequately. Although what a mere commoner can do to help a mage I do not know" he said with no small amount of contempt as he stood and approached me.

I was interrupted before I could even make a comment on this.

"**GUICHE! Stop that commoner, quickly!"**

There in the entrance to the tower I had just exited, was Louise. She still had on her negligee nightwear, but had her green cloak over the top to protect her modesty. Huh, guess even she has modesty while wandering outside her room. Upon hearing this, Guiche turned to face Louise.

"And, why do I need to do such a thing?"

"Because he ran away! I need to stop him!" she said, hurrying to approach the group.

"Ran away? Dear Lousie, it should be impossible for a Familiar to run awa..." As he said this, he had turned again to face me, only to find I had once again started to run towards the gate at the end of the courtyard. In response, Guiche gave his rose a simple upwards flick.

It took me a few seconds to realise that I was still running, yet not getting any closer to the desired goal. Upon looking down, I realised i was in fact several feet of the ground. Amazing how you can miss this things when you're focused on something, like getting as far away from this place as possible.

"Woah!" I exclaimed as I started to flail my arms slightly while trying to get used to the newfound weightlessness. All this resulted in was me starting to flip head over heels in slow, lazy revolutions.

"I can't believe your Familiar actually ran away. If it was anyone but you, Louise the Zero, I would have thought this was a jest" said Guiche, his rose continuing to point at me and hold me aloft. "On a side note...how much have you fed this Familiar? He weighs more than your average knight in armour".

"This Familiar still needs to be properly trained it seems" huffed Louise, now finally standing with the rest of the group and slightly out of breath. "And as for food, I have not even fed him yet, he's been asleep till just now. The way he's behaved so far, he's unlikely to get fed for a long time to come!"

"I hope when I summon my Familiar, it'll be better behaved than this one" Katie said apprehensively.

"Do not fret, Katie. Only Louise here would be unable to summon a well behaved Familiar. All others are loyal to the mage they are bound to"

Louise was getting more and more frustrated with the insults that were being thrown callously her way. Rather than starting a fight with Guiche, who had at least assisted in stopping the run away Familiar, she decided to vent her anger on the source of it all. She stomped up towards the still revolving Familiar.

During this conversation, I was attempting to wrap my head around what exactly was happening to me.

_Woah, ok...so I'm floating now? How the hell did that happen? Sounded like that Guiche guy is responsible, he must have similar powers to Louise then. Only less painful. Wait, did he just call me fat?! _

It was midway through my internal panic and a revolution that I found myself looking upwards into the night sky, and promptly forgetting the situation I was in. There, in the dark night sky scattered with stars, were two...that's right TWO...moons. This wasn't even the most striking aspect about them. While I'm used to seeing the moon a pearly white, these moons were a completely different colour. One was bright red, almost pink while the other was a much deeper mauve, nearly blue.

It was upon seeing these that I came to the conclusion i was desperately trying to avoid. I wasn't anywhere near home. Most likely, I wasn't even on in my own world. It was as I was struggling to come to terms with this fact that I was addressed.

"Have you finished your foolishness, Familiar?" Louise asked with her seemingly ever present scowl on her face. I looked towards her (which, while constantly moving was no small feat) with a frown of my own

"You know, I have a name. I told you it before"

"And what have you done to earn the right for me to use it exactly?" Louise said, tapping her feet angrily.

"What have I done to earn such treatment?" I countered.

"You ran away!" she fumed, refusing to back down. For a while we simply stared at each other, neither one of us wanting to give in. Eventually, I broke eye contact and sighed.

"Fine, have it your way. It seems I've got no choice anyway. I'll probably need your help if I'm ever to find a way back home." After this, i turned my attention back to Guiche. "You can let me down now, I won't run anymore."

Guiche looked to Louise, and after receiving a curt nod, said "very well". He then promptly ended the spell he was using to keep me up in the air. I fell the few feet to the ground and, unable to correct my landing in time, fell flat on my face.

"Ouch...you know, you need to work on your landings. They could be a bit softer and less...on your face" I grumbled as I gradually stood up and dusted myself down. It was at this time that Louise truly took note of my height for the first time. She barely came up to the middle of my chest, which seemed to irritate her further once she realiased how much she had to "Look up to me". She huffed at this, and turned back towards the dorm tower, moving at a swift pace.

"Come, Familiar. It is getting late, and you have wasted enough of my time today already"

"Am I ever going to get her to use my name?" I thought while rolling my eyes. I quickly caught up and we headed back to her room.

***Back in Louise's Room***

I was currently holding a wicker basket filled with an assortment of garments that needed washing, and was picking up the clothes I had dropped previously. Seems that to "earn" even the simplest of necessities, such as food and water, I needed to do the chores that my "Master" set me. Man this was so unfair. _But then, life isn't fair _I thought bitterly.

And thinking this brought me back to the situation I was in. While the earlier conversation with Louise had answered the what and the why, I still didn't know WHERE I was. Clearly it was somewhere a looong way from home if the two moons were any indication. Deciding I wanted at least some answers, I turned back to Louise who was once again placing her cloak in the wardrobe.

"Lousie? Where exactly are we?" I asked.

"What sort of question is that? We are currently in my bedroom, you know that" she huffed as she pulled back her bed sheets and got in her bed

_Ask a stupid question...get a stupid answer _I grimaced.

"No, I meant what place are we at? What country?"

Louise looked at me upon hearing this as if I was going mad. Hey, with everything that was happening, i was starting to think I was.

"Do you not even know simple things such as that? Wow, you must have led a sheltered life before. We are in the Tristain Academy of Magic, In the Country or Tristain on the Continent of Halkeginia. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, Lousie" at least it confirms my suspicions of not being on earth anymore. I may not have been brilliant at geography, but even I knew there was no such continent as Halkeginia.

"Good, now that that settled, please make sure to wash those by morning, and to wake me at dawn". Louise then settled herself in her bed and flicked her wand, turning off all the lanterns in the room. There was still enough light to see by via the moonlight filtering through the window however.

I exited the room with the laundry basket and set off to start the first chore of many, I'm sure.

***Break***

_Damn, this castle is huge. _And this was no joke. I'd been wondering around for a good ten minutes now, and was still no closer to finding somewhere where I could wash these clothes. Judging by the level of technology of this place, I was not holding out any hope for finding a washing machine. That meant I needed a wash basin and some warm water from somewhere.

While I was trying to figure out what to do in this situation, while wondering down yet another corridor filled with torches and large ornaments, I noticed someone moving near one of the large vases. Once I was close enough to get a good look, I noticed it was a young girl that was using a feather duster to clean the ornament. She was wearing a black and white French maid outfit, complete with headwear.

_Huh, she must be one of the cleaning staff here. I certainly can't see any of those others I've met bothering to help with the cleaning. _

"Excuse me?" I said as I approached her. She must have been highly strung, for she jumped slightly at the sound of my voice. She then turned around and stood straighter than she had been.

"Good Evening, sir. May I be of service?" She asks with a deep bow towards me. Now this was a novel experience, and much better than the treatment I'd had so far. Still, I didn't feel right treating her the same way I had been.

"It's alright, and please, call me Kieren. I'm not one of the...Nobles that are living here." I said. She rose from her bow and took a good look at me. She seemed to notice the unusual clothes i was wearing (Well, unusual to them...I thought my clothes are quite normal compared to Guiches frilly shirts) as well as the basket of female laundry in my arms. Now that i thought about it, a grown man carrying around a basket of women's underwear could probably be considered something to be wary of. Luckily, she didn't jump to the wrong conclusion.

"Ah, you must be the human Familiar that Miss Vallière summoned!" she said while a smile broke out on her face and her posture loosened noticeably. Seems she was used to having to keep up appearances around all the Nobles.

"Yeah, that's me. You saw that then did you? I don't remember you in the crowd" I said sheepishly. Of course, I was kinda too busy at the time to notice everyone that had been present at the time.

"Oh no, I was working in the Kitchens. But word of a human being summoned found its way around the castle quickly". I suppose it would, seems human Familiars were rare. Probably because a human Familiar can tell their Masters to get stuffed if they really wanted. If they were willing to starve, at least.

"Anyway, I was hoping you could direct me to the washing area. I have these clothes I've been instructed to wash and am unfamiliar with the place" I said.

"Oh, of course. Right this way si...I mean, Kieren".

She turned and started walking down the corridor. I followed her, and soon we arrived at a room that was on the ground floor of the main building. The room was small, but had a large water basin in the middle with what seemed to be heated water kept warm by magical means. There were also scrubbing boards and soaps. The room was considerably humid from the large number of clothes that were hung up to dry.

"Here we are. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask" She said with a smile. Wow, that smile was a vast improvement to the scowl that was always on Louise's face. In fact it's the first one I've seen since arriving in this God forsaken place.

"Thank you very much...err...I never did catch your name?"

"My names Siesta, sir" she replied happily

"Thank you, Siesta". At this she turned and left, leaving me to the arduous task of washing clothes.

***Back in Louise's Room***

I placed the completed washing on the side in the room. Damn, that had taken a lot longer than expected, especially due to the fact that I had to wait for the clothes to dry.

Looking to the bed, I can see that Louise had fallen asleep since I had left, and was snoring quietly without a care in the world. Funny how she could look so peaceful and cute while asleep, but strikes fear (and explosions) into the heart while awake.

I looked around the room and quickly figured out something. _Where am I meant to sleep?_

With a sinking feeling I came to realise the purpose of the haystack. It was not there randomly, clutering up an otherwise emaculate room. It had been placed there as bedding for whatever familiar she got. Pity that that was me.

Figuring there was no use grumbling about it now; I sat down on the pile and started inspecting my saxophone again. _Good job I didn't run away, i woulda left this behind. I wouldn't want that. _I changed the reed for one in the case in my pocket, leaving me with just three spare new ones, and thought about my situation.

_Will I ever see my friends and family again? Mum and Dad? The band? Ashleigh? _I sighed as I replaced the sax leaning against the wall by a cabinet, and then looked out of the window past the bed. I had a clear view of the two moons from here. _Will I ever see you again? Mica?_

With a heavy heart, I lay down on the hay pile, and was soon fast asleep.

**Authors Note**

Well, there you go. The next instalment of Zero Soul?! Hopefully I've wetted your appetite for more, and if so, please rate and review. And remember, flames will be ignored. Only constructive criticism will help me improve.

Also, in this chapter, we get a glimpse of the OC's life before all this occurred. How is this important? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.

Incidentally, the OC Mica is pronounced Mee-Sha, for those that were wondering.

Song of the chapter!: "Soul Man" by Sam and Dave.(Hence the title)

**Next Chapter:**

**I challenge you to a duet! Err...duel! **

Thank you

Ocelotclaw


	3. I challenge you to a duet! Err, duel

"Hello" = speech

"**Hello" **= shouting and/or spiritual being

_Hello_ = thought

*Hello* = foreign language (or familiar unable to understand at the start).

All characters, locations and plots from Familiar of Zero are property of Noburu Yamaguchi. Anime owned by Yoshiaki Iwasaki. All OC's, unique plots and general craziness are owned by yours truly. Enjoy.

**Chapter 3: I challenge you to a duet! Err...duel!**

_*Flashback*_

It had been three weeks since that fated day in the Biology class room. If I was told before then that some girl I happened to meet simply because she was sitting at my usual table in class would become a firm friend in such a short time, I would have laughed. Probably at the person who said such a thing. Still, the joke would have been on me, because that is exactly what happened.

I still don't quite know how it happened. Maybe it was a part of me that had a bit of a protective streak. I've always felt that I should look out for those that were in trouble or suffering due to problems beyond their control. It was part of the reason I caved in to Ashleigh's constant nagging and took up Bōjutsu. Whilst you obviously can't carry a staff around with you everywhere, the exercise drills are surprisingly useful while unarmed.

This protective streak had kicked in full whack with regard to the new addition to my friends, Mica. Even though she was getting used to having us around, she retained the persona she showed when she met us for the first time.

She was constantly shy, and found it hard to maintain eye contact with anyone for any length of time, preferring to look down to the ground and have her long bangs hide her face from the world. Pity that, her face was something the world should see. She was very beautiful. She seldom talked to anyone, remaining silent around everyone but me and Ashleigh, and even then choosing to use only single word answers wherever possible. Still, it was an improvement on when we first met.

Despite this, there was still something about her that was bothering me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I always felt uneasy whenever she looked my way and smiled (which was a rare occurrence in itself). Whilst the fact she was smiling should be a reason to be glad, it was because it never quite reached her eyes that unsettled me.

No matter her mood...those eyes remained blank and lifeless.

I was currently pondering this while we were once again making our way to class. Ashleigh and Mica were talking to each other just ahead of me (well, more like Ashleigh was talking, and Mica was listening) while I was lost in thought. Once again, Mica was showing a smile but with dead eyes.

This meant that there was something I was missing. Mica was something of an enigma. A puzzle that needed solving, you could say. With my protective streak wanting to help her, I couldn't help wondering just what caused such a reaction in her.

_I don't know what happened to you, Mica. But I'll sure as heck find out one day..._

_*End Flashback*_

Tap-tap...Tap-tap...Tap-tap.

It was this sound that awoke me from my slumber and memories. Looking around, I groggily took note of the fact that I was still lying in a heap on the floor on top of a messy haystack. Shame, seems this whole experience really was happening.

Sitting up, I yawned and stretched. I popped several bones that were aching due to my less than adequate sleeping conditions. I also rubbed my left arm to regain feeling in it where it had gone to sleep due to lying on it all night.

Tap-tap...tap-tap...tap-tap.

Turning towards the source of the sound, I squinted out over the large bed to where the window was. It was now just becoming morning, with the light that was filtering into the room being a gentle shade of orange. The light was interrupted by a silhouette however, and this appeared to be the source of the noise that woke me.

Blinking and then rubbing my eyes in an attempt to banish the last of the sleep in my system, I look once more towards the window in the hope of being able to identify the source more clearly. When I looked back however, the silhouette had disappeared.

Standing up and moving round the bed to the window, I looked out to see if I could catch a glimpse of my mystery alarm clock. Looking left and right, I could see the large courtyard from yesterday, the large castle like structures and rolling fields and forests just beyond the perimeter wall. I could not, however, see anything that could have caused that sound.

_Great, I hope I'm not starting to hallucinate as well._

Leaning on the window sill and continuing to look out over the grounds, I thought back to the dream I'd been having before the unusual wake-up call. Never before could I remember my dreams so vividly, almost as if I was reliving the events of my past. Did it mean anything?

Shaking my head and attributing it to simply over thinking, I turned back towards the room and the large bed in the centre.

Louise was still fast asleep in her bed. At some point during the night she had wriggled under the covers to the point where only the top her hair was visible. I sighed as I remembered the order I'd been given, and considering the appearance of the sun just over the horizon decided now was the time to wake her up.

I pulled the covers back over her causing her to be revealed to the cold morning air. In response she curled up more on her side, but failed to wake up. Looking at her sleeping form, I was once again struck by how innocent she could look while asleep. Shaking my head, I cast that idea away and commenced trying to wake her.

"Come on, it's morning Kid" I said while I shook her gently. She gave no response.

"Come on, up and at'em" I said a bit more loudly, accompanied with a firmer shake of the shoulder. This just resulted in Louise curling up tighter and burrowing her head under her arms. _Hmm. Seems it'll take more than expected to wake her up. _

Looking around the room for something to wake her with, my eyes were drawn to my saxophone still leaning up against the wall. My face broke out into a slight smirk as I walked over to it and lifted it up. I then walked back to beside the bed and placed the sax to my mouth. I leaned over so that it was nearer for greater effect, and played a long, deep bottom A. The sound was comparable to that of a ships foghorn.

"Ahh!" Louise woke with a start and looked frantically around her for the source of the offensive noise. In the process of sitting up she had reached out and grabbed her wand reflexively, waving it around and ready to target any dangers. Her look of sheer bewilderment combined with her dishevelled appearance from the nights sleep was truly hilarious, and I couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Hahahaha! Oh, that reaction was priceless!" I said with mirth in my eyes.

She turned her gaze towards me. "Oh, that's right. I summoned you yesterday" she said in a somewhat faraway voice. Then she seemed to gather herself and her face took on its usual scowl. "Just what do you think you are doing, Familiar?! And what in the name of Brimir is that?!" she said, pointing angrily at the sax still held in front of me.

I finally stopped laughing, but continued to grin as I said "I'm simply following orders _Master, _something about a wakeup call at dawn? As for this, this is a Baritone saxophone. One of the best instruments there is, in my humble opinion".

"Well it's not like any instrument I've ever seen" Louise huffed. "And the sound it makes is disgraceful. No instrument should sound so vulgar. I bet it can't even be used in a proper arrangement of music".

"Sure it can, I only used one note to wake you up. How can you judge it from that alone? Here, I'll show you how awesome it is".

I raised the sax to my mouth once again, and started to play "I just wanna make love to you". Probably an inappropriate song considering the situation but still, it's not like she would know what it was. I had got no further than the second repeat of the simple six note riff that I saw the unmistakable warp of air just in front of my face.

I jumped back, just as a small explosion occurred where my sax had been moments before. While I had dodged the brunt of the blast, it was still enough to knock me off my feet.

"Ouch...you know you need to keep a lid on your explosions! You could have damaged my sax!" I exclaimed while frantically sitting up and checking my sax all over for damage.

"Good, that's what I was aiming for" she said triumphantly. "Though that was supposed to be a fireball" she added in an undertone so that I couldn't hear her. She got up out of bed a stretched herself, and then replaced her wand on the bedside table. She then began to look around herself.

"Familiar. Are you not forgetting something?" She looked at me expectantly. I was in the middle of gingerly replacing my saxophone in its place in the corner after determining that it had escaped unscathed. _Some people have no appreciation of good music _I thought. I then turned to Louise with a puzzled look.

"Not that I can remember, I woke you up. That was the order wasn't it?"

"Clothes?" she said while donning an irritated look and crossing her arms.

"Oohh. I thought you were kidding about that." She continued to look at me with great distaste, as though I had just been rolling in mud. "Obviously not..." I grumbled as I stood and walked over to the laundry basket I'd brought in last night. I grabbed a shirt, skirt and tights and dumped them unceremoniously on the bed.

Louise rifled through the clothes before saying "Where's the underwear?"

"You can't seriously expect me to get those too?" I said with a raised eyebrow. Her glare was all the answer I needed.

"No, sorry I refuse. Most guys would get slapped for rifling through a girls' underwear drawer. Why exactly should I do that here?" In answer to this she picked up her wand again and pointed it in my direction.

"That's as good a reason as any" I said while raising my hands in a defensive gesture and turning towards the chest of draws behind me. After the third attempt, I found the draw full of the desired garments and grabbed a random pair. I chucked the rolled bundle over my shoulder and closed the draw. The bundle bounced off Louise's head before landing on the bed with the rest of the clothes, earning me another glare as I turned back around. Louise then stretched her arms straight out from her body and looked at me expectantly.

"Err...what are you doing?"

"Dress me" she said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"Dress me" she repeated.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression you were sixteen. Or was that a lie? Why can't you do it yourself?" I asked.

"I'm a Noble. A Noble never dresses herself if there is a servant present to do it for them. And I am sixteen!" she scowled at me.

"A servant? I thought I was a Familiar?"

"It's the same thing!"

"No it's not! I thought most Familiars were animals? I'd like to see an owl help dress you; you'd likely get feathers in very uncomfortable places!" I countered.

At this she huffed, blushed slightly and dropped her arms back to her side, clearly tiring from holding them aloft. She then turned to the pile of clothes still on the bed, clearly giving up on getting her way with this particular order. In one swift movement she removed her nightwear, affording me barely enough time to avert my gaze and turn around.

"You really have no sense of modesty, do you?" I asked while facing the door.

"What are you trying to say, Familiar?" she groused. I heard the shuffling of clothes indicating that she had started to dress.

"I mean you have no qualms about standing stark naked in my presence. I'm a guy you know!" I said, a tinge of embarrassment reaching my voice. It's not that I was unfamiliar with a girl's naked body; it's just the shock of having a near stranger revealing theirs to you. Twice in fact!

"You're my Familiar, you don't count" she said as the shuffling came to an end, indicating she had finished dressing herself. "I would hardly expose myself to a true gentleman".

_Well, it's nice to know where I stand in this world's hierarchy. Good grief, this girl needs to get off her high horse, if she can with her limited height _I thought indignantly.

Louise walked past me, confirming that she was now fully dressed, and opened her door. "Come, Familiar. It's time to go get some breakfast" and with that, she exited and started walking down the corridor.

"How many times, my names Kieren!" I stressed as I followed out and closed the door behind me.

***Break***

We continued to walk through the courtyard towards the main central building, Louise slightly ahead of me. I took the chance to look around the courtyard that I had only seen briefly. Not much had changed, but currently there were many more people around than there had been last night. These people were interacting with various animals, which I assumed to be their own Familiars that they had summoned. These interactions ranged from simply petting them to playing fetch. _I swear, if Louise tries to get me to play fetch, I'll find and interesting place to return the stick to..._

I took a closer look at the various animals that littered the courtyard, many of which I recognised. There were cats, owls, a dragon, snakes...Wait! What?! A dragon?!

I stopped walking and stared at the large dragon that was currently basking in the sun, seemingly fast asleep. It was predominately blue in colour, with a white underbelly and an angular, almost triangle shaped head. It had spikes arranged in a crest on the top of its head. Continuing to stare, I was struggling to get my head around the fact I was actually looking at a real dragon.

By now, Louise had noticed I was no longer following her. She turned and with frustration called "What is keeping you?"

I merely pointed somewhat dumbly to the myriad of animals spread across the courtyard. She looked to where I was pointing and huffed slightly.

"There are so many people about because there's a period of rest to allow the second years to bond with their summoned Familiar. A lot of good that will do in my situation".

"Not that, that!" I said, pointing more specifically to the large winged reptile that had caught my attention.

"Oh, that's Tabitha's Familiar, Sylphid. I still can't believe she summoned a dragon. It's so much better than what I got stuck with" she said with a sigh as she started moving off towards the building once more.

_Ouch, that's harsh. Still, can't help but agree...how am I meant to top a dragon? I can't breathe fire, I've not got claws and I sure as hell can't fly _I pondered as I fell back into step behind Louise, still wondering about the various other mythical animals that littered the courtyard.

Shortly after, we were entering the large dining hall that was obviously used for all the meals that took place at the castle. Again, I was amazed by the sheer grandeur of the place.

There were marble floors and columns that supported the large, vaulted ceiling. The ceiling itself had intricate drawings of various things from magic symbols to, I assume, famous people. There were large glass chandeliers providing the majority of the light, and a wall made up mostly of windows leading to what looked like a balcony. Finally, there were numerous large wooden tables where people could sit, with numerous chairs around the edge. There was also another table on a slightly raised platform along one of the walls. I assumed it was there for the adults, as the people that sat there were wearing different attire to the majority of the people.

All-in-all, I was gobsmacked at the place.

"Hurry up, Familiar!"

I look back towards Louise to see she has made her way to a table and was waiting there; while I had slowed down to take in the surrounding details. I quickly make my way to her, and she continues to look at me expectantly while simultaneously crossing her arms and tapping her feet. I was starting to recognise that look. It meant I was expected to do something for her, even if she hadn't issued me an order.

Looking around, I could see a set of food (very nice food, by the smell of it!) already placed in front of the seat by her. It became obvious what it was she wanted of me then. Hey, even I have some amount of decorum within me.

I pulled out the chair by the food, allowing Louise to hop in and then be pushed it back into place. She seemed satisfied by this action, and the constant scowl was lost briefly as she started to tuck into the meal set before her. Honestly, the more time I spent with her the more it felt like I was looking after a little sister or something. Looking around me once more, I noticed something else that was off.

"Err...Louise? Where do I sit? Is there somewhere else for me to eat?" I said, honestly curious as to whether there were separate eating areas for people who were considered to be staff. I wonder if that Maid from yesterday would be there...she was the only person to be nice to me since I ended up here.

Her response was to point at the floor to her other side, not even taking her attention off the food in front of her. Leaning over slightly so I could see past her chair, and what i was met with caused me frown. There, placed on the floor was a single bowl of what looked vaguely like stew with a piece of bread to the side. It was definitely not of the quality of the food Louise was currently consuming.

"...You have got to be kidding."

"What do you mean, Familiar? What's wrong with it? It's better than what most of the familiars get, to be sure" Louise huffed, finally looking towards me.

"While that may be true, in case you haven't noticed I'm human. How come I haven't got the same as you? And why is it on the damn floor!?" I said, still frowning and now crossing my arms.

"Why should a Familiar be given food fit for a Noble? No, that will be perfectly fine for you." She then turned back away from me.

"Fine for me? That breads clearly got mould on it. I'm pretty sure it's moving occasionally as well" I said, eyeing the food as if it was about to rear up and attack. Which, judging by how it looks, it might well do. Louise didn't even bother to answer me. Well, it was at this point my infinite patience finally gave a little.

"Well, I'm sorry but I refuse. I'll find myself something to eat. Maybe I'll go eat someone else's Familiar, like the animal you so clearly think I am. I'm sure I saw a rabbit in the courtyard" and with that, I turned around and started walking out of the hall.

"Familiar! You will come back here this instant, or you won't get any food whatsoever!" Louise shouted, struggling to get down from the chair that was a bit too heavy for her to easily pull back herself.

I smirked slightly and merely waved over my shoulder while exiting the hall and closing the door behind me.

"**FAMILIAR!"**

***In the Academy Library***

Large floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the walls of this grand room, at least three stories in height. Similar bookshelves formed aisle after aisle that would be all too easy to get lost in. There was also a distinct lack of windows and natural light, all in an attempt to preserve the numerous ancient tomes and edicts that were kept there. All this combined to form a dark room where hardly any of the academies populous even bothered to visit.

Currently, there was a single source of light from a candle flickering in the dark seating area of the room. Here, the balding man from the summoning ceremony was conducting research. He was surrounded by numerous small piles of books and scrolls. The reason for this impromptu visit was the fact the something had piqued his interest during the summoning ceremony yesterday.

The human Familiar that had been summoned. While a human Familiar itself could be considered unique, it was the runes it received that had truly intrigued the scholar. While most Familial runes consisted of simple symbols that usually represent one of the four elements, his had consisted of what appeared to be parts of an ancient language. While it was similar to the writing system used to date, it was different enough to be illegible to most people.

And thus, curious by these runes, the scholar had taken to researching in many ancient language tomes in an attempt to find one that match. He was slowly getting further and further back into the past, looking up older and older forms of lettering. It was only when he started looking at a tome of around 6,000 years of age did he have any luck.

"This is...my my"

He picked up the book he was currently holding, along with his source of light, and hurried out of the library, not even bothering to clear up the scattered piles he'd left behind.

"Osmond needs to hear of this..." He said as he closed the door behind him.

***Academy Corridors***

*Rumble*

"Shut up"

*Grumble*

I sighed as I walked along one of the many, seemingly identical corridors that ran throughout the castle. It seemed that no matter how many times I argued with my stomach, it would always win. Who could blame it, I hadn't eaten since before coming here, which must be nearly twenty four hours ago by now. No wonder it was getting restless.

I was currently trying to locate somewhere where I could get something to eat. Judging by the number of people that stayed here, there must be a large kitchen that makes and serves all that amazing smelling food I saw in the food hall. Despite this, I couldn't for the life of me find the damn place.

I thought the most logical place to look would be by the washing room that I had gone to before, based on the fact that most of the amenities were likely to be near one another. At least, so I hoped. As I was turning the corner at the end of the corridor however, I collided into someone coming the other way. Now, being as tall and heavy (All muscle...honest...) as I am, this simple caused me to stagger a bit before catching myself. The other person wasn't so lucky, and fell to the ground.

"Oooff"

"Ah, sorry 'bout that, you okay?" I asked while extending my hand to help the person up. The person then looked up while accepting my hand.

"Yes, thank you si...Oh! It's you Kieren!" she said. I then recognised the girl as the maid who had helped me and been so kind before.

"Oh, hey there...Siesta, was it?" She nodded her confirmation "nice to see you again, thanks again for your help last night"

"It was no problem, sir. May I ask what you're doing back in this part of the castle? Surely Miss Vallière hasn't built up another load of washing already?" she asked with a smile.

"Not yet, I was actually looking for the kitchens if possible because..." *Grumble* *sigh* "...because of that" I said, my cheeks slightly tinted with a blush due to the inappropriate moment my stomach decided to make its presence known.

Siesta just giggled a little at the sound. "Of course, I can show you to the kitchen; it's my break time anyway. But may I ask why Miss Vallière did not feed you herself?" she asked with a slight frown. I chuckled slightly at this.

"Oh, she tried to feed me, but while I don't expect the best food ever, I draw the line at mouldy bread and old stew. Hence, why I'm here looking for the kitchens"

Siestas frown grew more pronounced, and she looked at me with a hint of...worry? Still, it was gone before I could tell for sure, and she turned and started walking down the corridor, motioning me to follow her. About five minutes later, we came to the Kitchen area, which as I had expected was right by the washing room, connecting it and the corridor to the courtyard outside.

Inside, the kitchen was bustling with activity. Everywhere you looked there were cooks preparing various food items, and waiters and maids were arriving to ferry it to its destination. The air was thick with smoke from the large fire in one corner, as well as the delicious smell from the food. As we came further into the room, one chef that appeared to be coordinating the others by barking the occasional came into view. He had a typical chef's hat on, and had light brown hair complete with a beard and heavy set eyebrows. Siesta waved in order to catch the man's attention.

"Ah, hello there Siesta! Is it really nine already?" he smiled, then noticed that she was not alone. "And who might this strapping young lad be, eh? I didn't think we had any newbie's till next year"

"Oh no, he isn't here to work. This is Kieren, the one I said I met yesterday, Miss Vallière's Familiar" He nodded in acknowledgement. Siesta then turned towards me and gestured towards the large man "Kieren, this man is the Head chef, Marteau. He basically runs the kitchens"

"Nice to meet you, sir" I said as I stepped forward and offered my hand. Just as I was remembering that this didn't appear to be a custom here, he grasped it and firmly shook it. _Huh, guess it's just the nobles that don't bother with handshakes...or Louise didn't consider it worth it in my case. Probably the latter, to be honest_.

"Pleasure, Kieren! But do tell, if you're not here to work what are you here for?" Marteau boomed in an enthusiastic voice. Before I could answer his question, Siesta answered for me.

"Kieren just wanted something to eat. Apparently Miss Vallière tried to feed him stale bread for breakfast this morning"

"Ah, I was wondering why that was sent to the dining hall today, along with yesterdays failed stew. So that was for you then, eh?" He said, looking back to me. I merely shrugged. "Ya poor sod. Oh well, us Commoners have to stick together right? Take a seat; I'll whip up something simple. It'll only be leftovers like, I hope that's alright?"

"Anythings fine by me, as long as it doesn't look like it would cause me to start a very intimate relationship with the nearest bucket" I said with a grin, taking a seat at a nearby table. Marteau just boomed with laughter as he made his way back over to the food preparation area.

Siesta brought us tea, which I gratefully enjoyed. I did enjoy a good cup of tea after all. Shortly after, Marteau returned with a steaming bowl of stew, only this one smelled delicious and looked good enough to...well, eat. I tucked into the bowl with gusto, and savoured every mouthful.

"Wow, compliments to the chef! This is great, do the Nobles always eat this well?" I said, finishing my bowl and returning to my tea to wash it down.

"Often better. If only they were as complimentary as you, my friend" Marteau smiled as Siesta cleared the plates so fast I didn't get a chance to offer my help. This made me frown slightly.

"Tell me, is there anything I can do to repay you for the meal? It doesn't feel right taking up your time when you're clearly already so busy."

"Not at all, like I said, us Commoners should stick together, right? But, if you really wanna help..." he said, placing his hand to his chin in thought.

"Yes?" I said leaning casually on the table, wondering what he had in mind. Marteau looked to Siesta, who smiled and happily nodded her head.

"Well, you see, Siesta here has her next shift serving tea and cakes to the Nobles out in the courtyard seating area. Usually we have two servers on each shift, but the usual maid has fallen ill as of late. Would you be willing to help her?"

I smiled at such a simple request. "Of course, I'm more than happy to help, when do I start"

I suddenly felt worried as Marteau smiled rather sinisterly and Siesta got a glint in her eye and rushed to a back room of the kitchen area. Marteau then guided me towards that same room.

"Err, where are we going?" I said, just as Siesta returned from the room, holding up something that made me panic stricken. I looked to Marteau.

"You wouldn't" he just smiled at me "You traitor, what happened to "commoners stick together" huh?" I said trying to back away from the burly man, to which he stood between me and the only exit as Siesta advanced towards me with the offensive item.

"No! No! **NOOO!**"

***Courtyard***

"Well...It could've been worse I suppose" I sighed as I continued serving the Nobles various teas and cakes.

Currently, I was wearing a crisp black waiter's suit complete with white shirt and black trousers. This was still considerably better than the alternative; for they had initially tried to make me wear the ill maids spare uniform. I couldn't think of anything worse, I was meant to serve the Nobles cakes, not make them lose their appetite!

Still, my size came to my rescue again as no matter how hard they tried the two could not get me to wear it. After a ten minute scuffle, a torn shirt sleeve and considerably messed up hair as I gave Siesta a gentle noogie for payback, they eventually settled for a waiters outfit instead. At least Marteau had taken my torn shirt to be repaired while I was helping out.

So here I was serving various confectionaries ranging from chocolate gateau to fruit scones, while Siesta was happily serving tea at the same time. It would have been an enjoyable experience, if the people we were serving weren't so bloody obnoxious. Seriously, I don't think I heard a single thank you in the past hour or so.

It was half way through this job that a familiar voice caught my ears.

"It is truly an honour to be spending the morning with you Montmorency. Every moment spent with you makes my day so much better"

Ah, I'd recognise that flirtatiousness anywhere. There, sat a few tables away was the blond boy with the ever present rose. As much as I wanted to have nothing to do with him again (my pride, and my face, still hurt from last night) he was here to be served just like the rest of them.

Currently he was sitting opposite a girl with equally blonde hair in an unusual style consisting of several large, tightly curled ponytails, as well as similar style bangs framing her face. She had a pink bow holding her hair in place, and was currently stroking a small frog that she held in her hand. I assumed this to be her familiar.

_Huh, different girl from last night, he sure works fast _I thought as I went to serve them.

*sigh* "It's nice to know I'm appreciated" The girl, Montmorency I think I heard the guy say, replied while looking dreamily at him.

"Of course I appreciate you, Monmon. You are beautiful, just like the rose which I carry. You truly live up to your name, the fragrance" The boy said, flourishing his rose for emphasis.

"Oh, Guiche"

"Oh, Monmon"

_Oh, brother _I thought as I set the cakes on the table, keen to be away from this scene before I threw up. That wouldn't have gone over well I'm sure. Before I could escape, Guiche looked my way, before returning his gaze to the girl, and then did a double take my way.

"Well well, if it isn't the runaway Familiar! Do tell, what are you doing serving as a waiter? Did Louise decide you were not worth the hassle?" He asked, drawing the attention of the girl to me as well. As much as I wanted to make some form of retort, I didn't want to end up causing trouble for Siesta or Marteau. I was wearing the staff uniform after all, so had to rely on my good manners and etiquette.

"Not at all. I am merely repaying a favour I owe someone" I said smiling as I returned to the tray that held the various cakes, intent on leaving as soon as possible.

"Ah, well that's very noble of you. Wouldn't have thought a commoner was capable of such a valiant act" Guiche said with a smile.

_There's a back handed compliment if ever I've heard one _I fumed. Seriously, this guy was trying my patience.

"Quite. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have others to serve. Enjoy your food, Sir, Miss." I said, bowing slightly to each in turn. I then turned and walked away as I heard.

"Such manners, hard to believe he was fleeing from his master just last night"

"Really, do tell me more about that..." I heard Montmorency say as I left out of earshot.

_Jerks _I thought. The rest of the shift was pretty much uneventful. This peace however was about to get a rather nasty shake up. It was as me and Siesta was clearing away plates, that a familiar brown haired girl walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder. Turning, I saw the girl that Guiche was with last night.

"Excuse me, Familiar. But I was wondering if you knew where Guiche might be. I have the Soufflé he wished to try" she said, presenting the small white wicker hamper she was carrying.

_Oh dear, seems Guiche has made a fatal mistake of trying to balance more than one girl. _I slowly started to smile, and casually pointed to the table where Guiche and Montmorency were still finishing their food. The girl then thanked me and proceeded to make her way over to him. Not wanting to miss the fireworks, I followed a fair bit behind, and walked up beside Siesta clearing a nearby table.

"Hello Kieren, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing, at least not for me. We're about to get some free entertainment though" I said, nodding towards the table where the girl had just arrived.

"Guiche, I've made that soufflé I promised you" The girl said setting the basket on the table. Guiche started to panic and seemed lost for words, as Montmorency eyed the basket and then the girl. "Guiche, what is this about?" she said, so calmly it was scary.

"Nothing, Monmon. I merely agreed to taste this young girls cooking so she could improve upon her culinary skills" Guiche said, regaining some composure.

"Nothing? But you were so happy when I offered to make this for you last night" the girl said, clearly upset at the declaration. What the girl said instantly made Montmorency frown and Guiche flinch slightly.

"Last night? You told me you were busy bonding with your Familiar last night" Montmorency scowled.

"That I was, I merely met Katie here by chance" Guiche said, clearly starting to panic.

"Chance? We planned to meet for days. I was looking forward to it for so long. And who is she!" Katie said, pointing to Montmorency. Before Guiche could reply, he was beaten to the post.

"I'm his girlfriend! My name is Montmorency Margarita La Fère de Montmorency. Who are you?!" Montmorency exclaimed, pointing to Katie.

"I'm Katie La Featherwright, and I'M his girlfriend" she said defiantly. The two girls stared at each other for a while, as Guiche decided to attempt to salvage the situation. Big mistake.

"Now girls, please wait" The girls turned their gaze to Guiche, and the fierceness of their glare made him appear to almost wilt.

"YOU!" they said in unison, both starting to tear up. "How could you!" Katie said.

"Please, this is just a misunder..." Guiche was cut short as Katie slapped him hard, leaving a large red mark on his cheek. She then picked up her basket and fled the scene while sobbing.

Guiche then turned towards Montmorency, who also had tears streaming down her face.

"Please, Monmon..." He then received a second, hard slap on his other cheek.

"Don't even bother" she then turned her back to him and started to walk away "I thought you were better than this, Guiche. Clearly, I was mistaken." She then also left the courtyard, albeit at a slower, more elegant pace than Katie. Guiche just stood there, looking around him in bewilderment as if he couldn't quite understand what had just happened.

_Fool, you should never try and have a relationship behind someone's back. It's obvious it would never work _I thought as I observed him with amusement. Unfortunately, this was evident on my face, and I failed to remove it in time when his gaze fell on me.

"YOU! Are you the reason for this chain of events, Commoner!" he raged, waving his rose threateningly at me (can a rose be threatening? I suppose it can if it can lift you into the air). I huffed at this, insulted that he considered this to be my fault.

"Hardly, you've got no one to blame but yourself! I merely directed the poor girl in your direction at her request" I frowned.

"Ah ha! So you admit to guiding her here. If you did not do so, you would not have made them cry, and I cannot stand to see young ladies cry!"

"I'm not the one two-timing here! I'm hardly the one that made them cry!" I said, raising my voice. How dare he, not only does he upset them, but he can't even take the blame himself! Some Noble he is!

"I challenge you to a duel, in their honour!" Guiche proclaimed, smirking at me as he said it.

I glared at him, struggling to contain my sheer dislike for the boy in front of me. Siesta then came up beside me and leaned into my ear

"Don't do it Kieren. Just apologise, commoners can't win against Nobles, we don't have magic" she whispered into my ear. I simply turned towards her, my scowl still in place and shook my head. I didn't want to glare at her, but I did want to make my point. I was not backing down from this one.

"Fine, I accept" I said through gritted teeth.

Guiche smiled in an almost mocking way. "Good, you're brave at least. Foolish, but brave. I'll see you at the Vestri courtyard in an hour's time, commoner" and with that, he stood and swept from the seating area.

I slowly lost the scowl that had found its way onto my face, and turned to face Siesta. She had remained quiet at my request, but was currently looking down to the ground, her hair hiding her face.

"Siesta, I'm sorry I glared at you, it's just that I couldn't let that lie, okay?" I said kindly. She looked up at me and I could see that she had the start of tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"You idiot Kieren. How do you hope to fight against magic when you yourself cannot use it?" she said quietly. In response I walked up to her and gently rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"Don't worry, Siesta. I may not be able to do magic, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve" I said. This seemed to placate her a little, and she wiped the forming tears from her eyes.

One thing she said was true, however. I had no idea what magic Guiche used except that floating one. I had no chance against his magic without a weapon at my disposal. Then I got an idea, and started to smirk once again.

"Hey, Siesta? Is there any chance I could borrow something from the kitchen?"

**Authors Note**

Well, here's chapter three, and the Guiche/Familiar confrontation has finally occurred! Also, we found out a little more from Kieren's past. And what could possibly be useful from the kitchen? Stay tuned to find out!

Song of the chapter!: "I just wanna make love to you" by Etta James.

**Next Chapter:**

**Defending my Soul!**

Thank you

Ocelotclaw


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